The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-07-30
THE YOUNG DEMOCRACY WINS,
THE COMBINE 0tFtAItD Al Iat PRIMARIES

The CouYeutioH dominates Il IIcket COM
posed, With One Exception, OF Young
Democracy Supporters-The 'C"mbIne
delegates in Bad numor.
The Democratic primaries ON Saturday
last We're hotly contested in nearly all
of the nine districts of the county. The
polls were kept open from to +. clock.
The vote Vas large ill NEST nt the dis
tricts, not - outstanding that rain fell, ex-
cept ut intervals, during the last two
hours of the primaries in several of the
districts.
The contest in the Third district was
very close and exciting. The poll was
within few votes of as large as the
highest cast. Five hundred and seventy
nine ballots were cast which is 20 more
than Cleveland received in 1881 The
voting started off with a rush and for
the first half au hour more ballots were
cast thai for Il much longer time after
wards. The Combine workers worked
vigorously and for while were polling
two votes 10 the others one.
The younger men did not manage wei
at first and it appeared for a while that
the Combine would get a large proportion
of .he doubtful vote. The fight through
out was holly contested The Singcrly's
mill vote was east almost solid for the
Dung Democracy, and the advantage
gained 10y the nearly - votes from :ls
| S,urrp Was hard E,r the (,nmhinp q, over
come. Considerable money was used on
both sides. Each claims that the other
had twice as much as they. The buying
and selling was done more openly than
ever before. This was the comment of
both Republicans and Democrats. There
was no serious row at the polls, although
several times it appeared imminent. In
the pulling and hauling over a disputed
voter one candidate caught another by
the back of the collar and WAS trying to
pull him away from the win;ow in order
to have a better place himself. The
| other candidate was crowded III on all
sides and could not reach his opponent,
or there might have been war. After
considerable loud talk aud showing things
quoted down somewhat The same can
didate caused another sensation sometime
| later. a couple of Combine workers
started for the polls at a doube-Guick
pace to vote one of the purchables, who
they were afraid would get out of their
hands. \ Young Democracy candidate
seeing the proceeding rushed toward
them crying "You shan't force that man
to the polls" and he caught hold to stop
them. A Combine delegate who was
standing by grabbed the excited candi
date and diverted his attention from the
others. 1t looked like fight for q moment
but the peacemakers slipped between.
The Combine was too bright for the
Young Democracy in the matter of secur-
ing the aimshouse vote. \ trustee of
the poor was interested on the Combine
side while another trustee was delegate
tor the Young Democracy. The delegate,
it is reported, had made arrangements
to have the paupers brought down in the
aftern oon. The Combine man suspect
Ing this had arranged for teams to con-
vey the nnfortunatcs away from the
amshousc in the morning down on the
banks of Elk river, few miles below
here, to enjoy themselves several hours
before time for vOtirg. After their ex
cursion they were driven up in royal
style to the polls, part of them riding in
| 81 Of Of LIT, fnn
lilies, and cast their votes for the Com
bne. Had not the coming constitutional
convention best disenfrauchise paupers
as has been done in most other States?
What a pulling and hauling disagree
ably exciting time there was about the
polls over contested voters and they
were many. Each faction kept chat
lenger by the window all the time to pre-
vent persons from voting that were not
qualified. But when there was contest
each of these had assistants near by who
Joined in the racket that was always
made, Each then did his best to bull
doze The voter and the judges. Votes
could be challenged for three causes,
firstly, the person desiring to vote was
not 4 Democrat, secondly, that the
would be voter was not of age, and lastly
that he did not live in the district and
was, therefore, not entitled to vote. That
some Republicans were sufficiently lack
ing in self-respect to vote at a Democratic
primary of this disgraceful character
when they could wait and cast ballot at
an orderly conducted Republican primary
later, we are sorry to have to ad-
nit, there were many hot contests
over these The challengers were some
times Over-zealous i'll this matter and
one of them after denoun cling a lifelong
Democrat Of certain name as a Repub
lcan was compelled to apologiz" and ad
nit himself in the wrong. His excuse
was that that was what ne was put
there for" There were a humber Of
quarrels over youths attempting to vote
who were not of age. Two of the parties
whom one faction had attempted to vote
and were cried down by the challengers
of the others were supported by them
afterwards when they fell into the hands
of members of their faction. 1t was gen.
orally easy, however, to get some person
to state that he knew the party and that
he was over 2l. One enthusiastic individ-
ual when asked how he knew this to be
fact stated that he twas there when he
, was born" The disputes over the ques-
ton of whether or not the would bevoter
lived in the district were also many.
The purchasables, who a practical pol
tican tells us, are between 80 and 200
in number, went around looking for the
highest price. The market was rather
, unsteady, and prices ranged from two to
five dollars. Probably this given maxi
mum was exceeded in few instances.
Whiskey was also kept at certain places
where the unterritied, who was not base
enough to sell his vote, could be intlu-
/ enced and the one that was purchase.
able could be made so happy as not to de-
, mand high figure.
The appeal to voters Of the non pur-
chaSable sore were also sometimes in
-, tense and many sharp words. were ex
changed. An interested person was heard
to say to a Elkton merchant, II hear you